NGD!: AKM GuitarWorks | Vaalbara Baritone (in b4 Vaalbaritone)

[Purelojik]

What does rosewood feel like in the hand? I've only gotten to play natural maple, roasted maple, and only recently a Wenge neck.

great question, its hard to describe because I think once you've sanded a lot of neck woods up to a high grit they all start feeling similar. I think the visual component of indian rosewood somehow feeds into my perception of its feel too. it just looks beautiful, its dark, has streaks of red, purple and orange sometimes. its a heavy and dense wood so it really has some heft in your hand. polishes really nicely I think I only used a bit of wax on the neck and that's it really. sanded to 600 grit. Roasted maple is one of my favorite neck woods aside from this and this just feels heavier. i know its all subjective and useless at times to describe this but this is my best try lol

 

[Purelojik]

Ok here's a clip that sounds good

 

[akinari]

Can you make me one with basswood and maple instead? Dead serious.

 

[pondman]

Ultra cool and sharp build. Congratsus.

 

[Purelojik]

Ultra cool and sharp build. Congratsus.

OMG PONDMAN! i miss you man

 

[Purelojik]

Can you make me one with basswood and maple instead? Dead serious.

I would love to build for everyone but right now its just an obsessive passion project. Occasionally I'll be ok letting a build go here and there but I usually post it up for first refusal. Maybe in the future I'll turn it into a side hustle and build some for profit but right now if I do sell a build I just put it into the next parts order to keep the hobby going

 

[Millul]

Phenomenal axe

 

[kchoe1]

Beautiful work! You have a amazing talent!

 

[Hoss632]

I would love to build for everyone but right now its just an obsessive passion project. Occasionally I'll be ok letting a build go here and there but I usually post it up for first refusal. Maybe in the future I'll turn it into a side hustle and build some for profit but right now if I do sell a build I just put it into the next parts order to keep the hobby going

I think you'd do well if you decide to open it up as a business. The build quality in this looks amazing. Plus it's a unique shape as well. I know I'd definitely love a 6 string version (not that i could afford it anytime soon hehe).

 

[Purelojik]

I think you'd do well if you decide to open it up as a business. The build quality in this looks amazing. Plus it's a unique shape as well. I know I'd definitely love a 6 string version (not that i could afford it anytime soon hehe).

I appreciate that, bud. If I ever do, I may just keep things small and manageable. The last thing I'd want is to fall into the same predicament that other builders have fallen into. I feel like Darren had a good idea initially before everything fell apart. I think I remember he said something along the lines of building what he wanted, when he wanted, and offering up for first refusal. In the future, I may do that. My main job is super time-consuming, and this is more of a hobby, I'd hate to turn it into a job for fear of losing some of my love of the craft.

 

[Hoss632]

I appreciate that, bud. If I ever do, I may just keep things small and manageable. The last thing I'd want is to fall into the same predicament that other builders have fallen into. I feel like Darren had a good idea initially before everything fell apart. I think I remember he said something along the lines of building what he wanted, when he wanted, and offering up for first refusal. In the future, I may do that. My main job is super time-consuming, and this is more of a hobby, I'd hate to turn it into a job for fear of losing some of my love of the craft.

Totally understandable.

 

[Shawn]

Beautiful.

 

[JimF]

Beautiful instrument! Stunning woods too.
I like how the design could quite easily suit any style of music and look appropriate being played in any genre.
You're build style is very "luxurious". It looks really tactile and I want to reach into my screen and feel the curves and radii.

I love the interplay of the top with the figuring of the black limba body. It looks like a camera moving underwater into a coral reef, or a freshly poured pint of Guinness settling.

I understand your reticence to start building for the public - I used to make kitchen knives, and my first thought was "I could sell these!" and I did. But I changed jobs, my commute went from a 20min round trip to a 3hr round trip, and I couldn't take any orders on. Any time I had to do some knifemaking for myself I felt like I should be starting builds for people that enquired with me, but I didn't have enough free time to commit to deadlines etc, ergo I totally stopped doing it.

 

[Pingu]

Ultra cool and sharp build. Congratsus.

It's official boys. This build is CERTIFIED.